Coin-controlled vending-machine.



No. 825,569. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

B. WHEATON.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE. APPLIOA'I'IOII nun M329. 1903.

774667166666. hventor:

wrm xu THE NORRIS Pint: cu, Imuula'ron, D. c.

ELMER VVHEATCN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GOIN-CONTROELED VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906;

Application filed May 29,1903. Serial No. 159,395.

To all whom it ma concern.

Be it known that I ELMER I/VHEATON, a citizen of the United States; residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled VendingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled vending-machines in which the article of merchandise is delivered in return for a coin passed through a coin-opening in the case and a slide operated by the pur chaser, said case containing both the merchandise and the mechanism for delivering same.

The object of my invention is to simplify such machines, thus lessening the liability of their getting out of order, as well as to reduce the cost of construction.

My apparatus consists of an inclosing case containing a vertical receptacle for the merchandise in which a spring is arranged to force the merchandise to aline with the slide or plunger which extracts same, the delivery mechanism and means of locking same, a space for retaining the coin after it has served its purpose, a coin-passage from the outside of the case to the delivery mechanism, an opening from the outside to receive the deposited article of merchandise in return for the coin, and suitable means from without the case to apply power to the slide in operating the mechanism.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction of the locking device connected with the delivery mechanism and the means for preventing the mechanism from being operated more than once for a single coin insertion.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical view of the entire machine with one of the outer walls of the inclosing case removed, exposing the mechanism in its normal position. Fig. 2 is the same view slightly in perspective with a part of the case torn away, the mechanism partially extended. Fig. 3 is the same view as Fig. 1 with the outer wall partially torn away, exposing the mechanism fully extended. Fig. 4 is a side view of the slotted slide and locking-spring removed from the case. Fig. 5 is a surface view of the locking-spring in perspective. Fig. 6 is the same view as Fig; 1, with the outer wall in place, showing the coin-slot D, leading into the case. Dotted lines indicate the position of the mechanism.

In Fig. 1 the case a is made of any suitable material, preferably wood, rectangular in shape. The slotted slide a (better shown in Fig. 4) is also made of wood provided with coin-slot m to receive the coin aiid carries locking-pin E, rigidly secured thereto, said slide being suitably formed and arranged to contact with a singlearticle of merchandise at each operation, ejecting same from its position.

Locking-pin E is preferably a small nail driven into the under side of slide 0 at a point in front of slot m, the head and part of shank projecting Position-bar I, preferably made of wood, is rigidly secured to the case and carries returning-spring g and slotted slide 0, which slide operates freely thereon. The returningspring 9 returns said slide to its normal position after the slide has been pushed forward.

The locking-spring a a (more particularly shown in Fig. 5) is formed from a single piece of sheet spring metal and is positioned in the case immediately under slotted slide 0, the free end connecting normally therewith, in conjunction with locking-pin E, its opposite end being securely fastened to the case. The face or plane of said locking-spring, over which the coin travels with considerable pressure in unlocking the mechanism, presents when normally in position an inclined plane or face portion between slot m and locking-pin E, slanting toward slide 0, and a flat plane or face portion extending substan tially parallel with said slide, bending away at the free end. Locking-spring a a in its fiat or plane portion is supplied with the triangular-shaped aperture H, extending through the spring, (better shown in Fig. 5,) the base of said aperture being adjacent the slot normally and the apex adjacent the free end of the spring away from said slot, the base of the aperture forming shoulders s s flush with the plane or face thereof, the purpose of said shoulders being shown hereinafter. The extreme free end of spring a a is curved away from said slide to admit the backward passage of pin E over the end thereof, which then lodges in aperture H, locking the mechanism, and finally takes its normal position in the rear end of said aperture.

In operating the mechanism the coin is passed through slot D in the outer wall of the case shown in Fig. 6, where it lodges in slot m of slide 0, its lower edge resting on the inclined plane of the locking-spring a a at a IIO point considerably lower than a horizontal line drawn at pin E, while the opposite edge contacts with the wall of slot m. The pushbutton on the outside of the case connecting with said slide is pushed forward, carrying the slide and coin, the latter moving in firm contact with the inclined and fiat plane porically as pin E enters aperture H.

In order to lessen the liability of the mechanism being operated successfully more than once with a single coin insertion by pushing the slide forward nearly its limit and perhaps by a sudden blow on the case dislodge the article of merchandise and return the slide to its normal position, still retaining the coin, means are provided in shoulders s s, operating in contact with the coin, as shown in Fig. 2, to check the retrograde motion of the slide at a partially-extended point until the mechanism is fully extended and the coin finally deposited. The edge of the coin in passing over aperture H bears within said aperture coin-controlled vending-machines have been I constructed with means of checking the backward motion of the slide when the coin is held therein. I therefore do not claim such invention, broadly.

That I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a coin-controlled vending-machine the combination with a support, the slide 0 provided with a slot m therein, and having a locking-pin E attached thereto on its under side adjacent said slot, the locking-spring a a positioned immediately under said slide having its lower end secured to said support and slanting upward toward said slide and having a fiat plane or face portion extending parallel with said slide away from said slot said flat portion being provided with a triangular aperture H having its base adjacent said slot and its apex at the end of said face awayfrom said slot, said locking-pin in its normal locking position being located within said aperture and adjacent its base.

ELMER WHEATON.

Witnesses:

SABINA WVHEATON, O. W. MoKEE. 

